The invention generally relates to electrochemical double-layer capacitors, and more specifically to a battery-capacitor hybrid energy storage system for high temperature applications.
A battery-only energy storage system (BESS) is typically designed to meet certain required specifications in total energy capacity, power handling capability and physical size and weight. The selection of suitable battery technologies becomes increasingly limited as the required power handling capability increases. This problem is exacerbated as the required operating temperatures increase.
Conventional solutions utilize so-called high-rate lithium cells. In applications requiring high power or pulsed power, conventional solutions may require a BESS that is significantly oversized with respect to total energy capacity in order to meet the requirement in power handling capability. Additionally, an overall safety of the energy storage system may be improved if a high-rate lithium cell is not needed.
Accordingly, what is desired is an energy source which is capable of providing a suitable combination of total energy capacity, power handling capability per unit weight and volume and that operates at high temperature without the need for a high-rate lithium cell.